This is it Happy Halloween! The Spook-tarot-cular Conclusion
We will end this series with a MAJOR Spook-tarot-cular Fest! Today we will go over the Major Arcana. 22 delicious cards (numbered 0 The Fool - XXI The World) that represent archetypes and the significant and overarching themes in our lives. They represent the allegories and stories that we have heard throughout the ages, our deepest spiritual lessons and they should feel quite familiar to you.
Let's begin our journey through the majors and though it's tempting to feel like it's a daunting task, we will keep it VERY simple. No over thinking (9 of Bats) and no paralysis by analysis (10 of bats).
Each of these cards has a keyword/title on it and of course a wonderful image to help you better understand the meaning. To read the Major Arcana - you
Let's begin our journey through the majors and though it's tempting to feel like it's a daunting task, we will keep it VERY simple. No over thinking (9 of Bats) and no paralysis by analysis (10 of bats).
Each of these cards has a keyword/title on it and of course a wonderful image to help you better understand the meaning. To read the Major Arcana - you
will simply combine the image and keyword - no suits, no tarot numerology - just straightforward keyword + image = meaning.
0 - The Fool - His bag is packed, he's ready to leap off the cliff and doesn't appear to have a care in the world. Kitty is a bit more tentative about the jump.
Possible meanings: I call this the "leap of faith" card. It's the start of the Major Arcana (what some would call the spiritual journey of the fool). An energy of pure potential and possibility, naiveté, the point at which we decide to gain wisdom through experience. Or as Nike says "Just Do It!"
0 - The Fool - His bag is packed, he's ready to leap off the cliff and doesn't appear to have a care in the world. Kitty is a bit more tentative about the jump.
Possible meanings: I call this the "leap of faith" card. It's the start of the Major Arcana (what some would call the spiritual journey of the fool). An energy of pure potential and possibility, naiveté, the point at which we decide to gain wisdom through experience. Or as Nike says "Just Do It!"
1 - The Magician - what does a Magician do? Turn illusion into reality. Where there was no rabbit, he has pulled one from a hat. Note also that he is surrounded by all the representations of the suits of the deck, the bat, ghost, imp and pumpkin, showing that he has everything he needs at his fingertips.
Possible meanings: I call this one the "manifestation" card. You have everything you need to manifest that which you desire, you have co-creative power. You can create magic in your own life.
2 - The High Priestess - What is a Priestess? a female priest - someone who shares spiritual wisdom. Look at this happy beauty. She's "over the moon" delighted to have her book and her darling little bat in hand. What of that book & bat? Don't books contain information/potential knowledge even secrets and the bats, at least in this deck represent our thoughts, this one all wrapped up and secure not freely flying around like in the other cards. Which leads me to believe that she has control over her inner thoughts, her subconscious/intuition.
Possible meanings: listen to your intuition, great connection between your conscious and subconscious, keeper of secrets.
3 - The Empress - the female emperor - someone who has master command over all things feminine. Note that in this image Frankenstein's bride is on the cushiest possible settee and all cozied up with her kitty and soft luscious blanket. She is the only one in the deck who shows such luxuries.
Possible meanings: nurture yourself, creating abundance of mind, body and spirit, fertility and motherhood, all things divinely feminine
4 - The Emperor - the supreme ruler of the empire - who better than Frankenstein to sit in master command over all of his domain.
Possible meanings: domination, complete control, undeniable authority, unwavering responsibility/accountability for your actions, a supreme leader
Possible meanings: I call this one the "manifestation" card. You have everything you need to manifest that which you desire, you have co-creative power. You can create magic in your own life.
2 - The High Priestess - What is a Priestess? a female priest - someone who shares spiritual wisdom. Look at this happy beauty. She's "over the moon" delighted to have her book and her darling little bat in hand. What of that book & bat? Don't books contain information/potential knowledge even secrets and the bats, at least in this deck represent our thoughts, this one all wrapped up and secure not freely flying around like in the other cards. Which leads me to believe that she has control over her inner thoughts, her subconscious/intuition.
Possible meanings: listen to your intuition, great connection between your conscious and subconscious, keeper of secrets.
3 - The Empress - the female emperor - someone who has master command over all things feminine. Note that in this image Frankenstein's bride is on the cushiest possible settee and all cozied up with her kitty and soft luscious blanket. She is the only one in the deck who shows such luxuries.
Possible meanings: nurture yourself, creating abundance of mind, body and spirit, fertility and motherhood, all things divinely feminine
4 - The Emperor - the supreme ruler of the empire - who better than Frankenstein to sit in master command over all of his domain.
Possible meanings: domination, complete control, undeniable authority, unwavering responsibility/accountability for your actions, a supreme leader
5 - The Hierophant - ok let's face it that's just a super strange and outdated word now isn't it? What is a Hierophant? well he used to be called the Pope - so perhaps that gives you a far better idea of what this Mummy is all about. He's a spiritual leader but also may be quite stuck in his ways - "tied up" in traditions.
Possible meanings: spiritual leader, stuck to convention or tradition, being bound by religion or societal expectations, conforming
6 - The Lovers - especially important to absorb the image on this card because at first blush you might be tempted to interpret this just as "lovers" and that can be the case but, can a vampire offer TRUE love to a human? Or is what this woman seeks the love of a loyal friend like the dog who sits beside her? Who is writing her those love letters and why is she hiding them from the Vampire? Vampires can be VERY alluring and lust is quite a temptation and you can see the snake wrapped around her curtain there as a sign of potential trouble.
Possible meanings: temptation, the difficult moral choices we make (love or lust, mind or heart), partnerships, ethics, romantic relationship (a very good sign for romantic relationships)
7 - The Chariot - when might we have used a chariot and for what purpose? to drive ahead to our intended destination. Here the pumpkin is joyfully steering his chariot (ok his hearse) to his final destination.
Possible meanings: one who is in control - think "in the driver's seat", strong will power, strength of character, forward movement
8 - Strength - not too much of a stretch to interpret this card but do look closely at what kind of strength the ringmaster is using to tame the lion. I'd say a great display of inner strength and even a bit of persuasion.
Possible meanings: inner strength, persuasion over brute force, a quiet fortitude or determination
9 - The Hermit - or in this case the Mad Scientist - both work alone in their search for truth.
Possible meanings: time for deep reflection or search for inner truth, gaining perspective through time alone, self-reflection
Possible meanings: spiritual leader, stuck to convention or tradition, being bound by religion or societal expectations, conforming
6 - The Lovers - especially important to absorb the image on this card because at first blush you might be tempted to interpret this just as "lovers" and that can be the case but, can a vampire offer TRUE love to a human? Or is what this woman seeks the love of a loyal friend like the dog who sits beside her? Who is writing her those love letters and why is she hiding them from the Vampire? Vampires can be VERY alluring and lust is quite a temptation and you can see the snake wrapped around her curtain there as a sign of potential trouble.
Possible meanings: temptation, the difficult moral choices we make (love or lust, mind or heart), partnerships, ethics, romantic relationship (a very good sign for romantic relationships)
7 - The Chariot - when might we have used a chariot and for what purpose? to drive ahead to our intended destination. Here the pumpkin is joyfully steering his chariot (ok his hearse) to his final destination.
Possible meanings: one who is in control - think "in the driver's seat", strong will power, strength of character, forward movement
8 - Strength - not too much of a stretch to interpret this card but do look closely at what kind of strength the ringmaster is using to tame the lion. I'd say a great display of inner strength and even a bit of persuasion.
Possible meanings: inner strength, persuasion over brute force, a quiet fortitude or determination
9 - The Hermit - or in this case the Mad Scientist - both work alone in their search for truth.
Possible meanings: time for deep reflection or search for inner truth, gaining perspective through time alone, self-reflection
10 - The Wheel of Fortune - hey now isn't that a game? This poor guy on the spinning wheel with his fate in someone else's hands - note his four leaf clover held firmly for luck!
Possible meanings: fortune or luck or a change in your fortune or luck, a "turning point" (get it, the wheel?), allowing the universe to deliver the synchronicity you need to achieve your desires, this could also be karma returning
11 - Justice - looks like the Pumpkin is balancing something, these could also be the scales of justice in Halloween Land - it seems as though Pumpkin wants the outcome to be fair.
Possible meanings: justice, fairness, balance, making an ethical choice on an external matter
12 - Hanged Man - Oh dear poor scarecrow, seems he's caught upside down and those crows don't look even one little bit scared of him! This must provide him with a wonderful new perspective and a chance to pause and contemplate how he got himself there and how he might get out!
Possible meanings: new perspective, hanging in limbo or a pause in your action, want a change in life? turn yourself around
13 - Death - well now that doesn't seem very pleasant does it? and yet look at this happy skeleton who is watering his lush garden and note the butterfly who is emerging at the bottom left... a sign of transformation.
Possible meanings: an end, transition or change (perhaps unexpected), a release of old patterns, transformation or metamorphosis (and yes this does come with some degree of discomfort)
14 - Temperance - what? temperance - what on earth does that mean? well it is defined as moderation or self-restraint. And here we see a witch working very diligently on her brew... not too much of this and not too much of that, she's got to get it just right if she wants the spell to work for her. I often think of this card as the "alchemy" card - mixing and blending to harmonize into a new state of being.
Possible meanings: self-control or "everything in moderation", alchemy, making "measured" choices, blending, harmonizing
Side note: Are you noticing how important the imagery is in the tarot? How you might find clues to the meaning for your reading by pausing to understand what is in the artwork before you. Taking the keyword (admittedly some much clearer than others - Death - got it, Strength - got it, Temperance - ?, Hierophant - ok those are admittedly a bit outdated for our modern language) and combining it with the allegory you see in the art to connect the dots and determine your interpretation.
Possible meanings: fortune or luck or a change in your fortune or luck, a "turning point" (get it, the wheel?), allowing the universe to deliver the synchronicity you need to achieve your desires, this could also be karma returning
11 - Justice - looks like the Pumpkin is balancing something, these could also be the scales of justice in Halloween Land - it seems as though Pumpkin wants the outcome to be fair.
Possible meanings: justice, fairness, balance, making an ethical choice on an external matter
12 - Hanged Man - Oh dear poor scarecrow, seems he's caught upside down and those crows don't look even one little bit scared of him! This must provide him with a wonderful new perspective and a chance to pause and contemplate how he got himself there and how he might get out!
Possible meanings: new perspective, hanging in limbo or a pause in your action, want a change in life? turn yourself around
13 - Death - well now that doesn't seem very pleasant does it? and yet look at this happy skeleton who is watering his lush garden and note the butterfly who is emerging at the bottom left... a sign of transformation.
Possible meanings: an end, transition or change (perhaps unexpected), a release of old patterns, transformation or metamorphosis (and yes this does come with some degree of discomfort)
14 - Temperance - what? temperance - what on earth does that mean? well it is defined as moderation or self-restraint. And here we see a witch working very diligently on her brew... not too much of this and not too much of that, she's got to get it just right if she wants the spell to work for her. I often think of this card as the "alchemy" card - mixing and blending to harmonize into a new state of being.
Possible meanings: self-control or "everything in moderation", alchemy, making "measured" choices, blending, harmonizing
Side note: Are you noticing how important the imagery is in the tarot? How you might find clues to the meaning for your reading by pausing to understand what is in the artwork before you. Taking the keyword (admittedly some much clearer than others - Death - got it, Strength - got it, Temperance - ?, Hierophant - ok those are admittedly a bit outdated for our modern language) and combining it with the allegory you see in the art to connect the dots and determine your interpretation.
15 - The Devil - well the devil here seems happy but her little trolls seem quite upset to be bound and controlled by her and lead by that horrid pitch fork! What is the devil representing in your life? What are you bound to or have become a slave to that you'd rather NOT be?
Possible meanings: an abuse of power, being bound to materialism or the superficial - think I'm a "slave to this debt" type of moment, an addiction, being discontent, a great warning that there are negative influences that are keeping you from achieving your hearts desire.
16 - The Tower - uh-oh, looks like lightening has struck this haunted house and toppled it's crowning glory! Some of the ghosts are being cast out and others appear to be unhappily trapped inside. This seems quite unexpected and unpleasant. If lightening struck your home it would "shake you to the core" would it not? It might even leave you homeless and would certainly leave you with a sudden unexpected change in life and your feeling about safety and security.
Possible meanings - a sudden game changer, diminishing sense of security, a jolt of enlightening (the kind that comes post a disaster), shattering false beliefs or illusions
17 - The Star - well now after shaking me to the core I'm going to want a reason to HOPE aren't I? Think "when you wish upon a star".
Possible meanings - hope, wishful, optimism, inspiration
18 - The Moon - well now the moon does bring out the werewolves doesn't it? Things that go "bump" in the night. WE don't always see clearly in the dark and even in a full moon our vision is limited.
Possible meanings: mystery or uncertainty, imagination, a shadow aspect of yourself (the werewolf), unconscious things surfacing that you may be quite unsettling to the conscious
19 - The Sun - yay, happiness, life is quite good! The two-headed monster enjoys a nice rest in a sunflower garden. The sun is a constant source of light both warming and reassuring "the sun will come up tomorrow".
Possible meanings: success, happiness, achievement, good exposure, bright moments ahead
Possible meanings: an abuse of power, being bound to materialism or the superficial - think I'm a "slave to this debt" type of moment, an addiction, being discontent, a great warning that there are negative influences that are keeping you from achieving your hearts desire.
16 - The Tower - uh-oh, looks like lightening has struck this haunted house and toppled it's crowning glory! Some of the ghosts are being cast out and others appear to be unhappily trapped inside. This seems quite unexpected and unpleasant. If lightening struck your home it would "shake you to the core" would it not? It might even leave you homeless and would certainly leave you with a sudden unexpected change in life and your feeling about safety and security.
Possible meanings - a sudden game changer, diminishing sense of security, a jolt of enlightening (the kind that comes post a disaster), shattering false beliefs or illusions
17 - The Star - well now after shaking me to the core I'm going to want a reason to HOPE aren't I? Think "when you wish upon a star".
Possible meanings - hope, wishful, optimism, inspiration
18 - The Moon - well now the moon does bring out the werewolves doesn't it? Things that go "bump" in the night. WE don't always see clearly in the dark and even in a full moon our vision is limited.
Possible meanings: mystery or uncertainty, imagination, a shadow aspect of yourself (the werewolf), unconscious things surfacing that you may be quite unsettling to the conscious
19 - The Sun - yay, happiness, life is quite good! The two-headed monster enjoys a nice rest in a sunflower garden. The sun is a constant source of light both warming and reassuring "the sun will come up tomorrow".
Possible meanings: success, happiness, achievement, good exposure, bright moments ahead
20 - Judgment - ok so slightly strange image as a family rises from their coffins to be greeted by a vampire? Of course additional clues here are the words at the bottom "Awaken sleeper" and "Rise". I'm thinking this is how we might be "judged in the afterlife".
Possible meanings: profound awakening, re-birth, an epiphany, look at the events happening now or in the recent past in your life as they may be a catalyst to your new more evolved situation, also forgiveness and karma
21 - The World - we are done! The kitty has completed his journey throughout the entire tarot - visiting every single card in some way, shape or form. He has manifested the world! "having it all" of course the tarot is a spiritual journey so this is a metaphor for attaining the highest level of consciousness.
Possible meanings: I often think of this as "the world is my oyster" all mine for the taking, a sense of completion and spiritual attainment, being completely content with the present state of being, success, oneness or wholeness
Whew we've done it!! Now hasn't this journey made a "World" of difference in the way you view the tarot? It has for me. Every card, every deck, every new day, every reading brings a new adventure, a new perspective and expansion of my being and understanding of the tarot. Learning about the tarot is fun and easy, mastering the tarot is an ever evolving and enlightening process, just like life. The wisdom gained through experience and practice with the tarot will open your eyes to the magnificence that is available through divine conversations.
I hope that introducing you to the art, imagery and allegory of tarot has inspired you to go further and to begin building a relationship with the tarot cards and to start engaging in profound and delicious conversations. If you've made it this far with me on the journey you must be more than just curious about the images on the cards! You probably would love to go deeper and learn more about how to read the stories that unfold when you ask the oracles & tarot to give you guidance.
If you liked this series and would like to learn more about opening divine conversations with tarot and oracle cards and would like to do so with a really fun, engaging, community of folks - why not let us invite you "Behind The Deck"! Some of my dear colleagues and I have come together to go behind the deck and lift the shroud of mystery around card reading. All "secrets" revealed in a really cool atmosphere with loving and fantastic guides who are dedicated to helping you explore oracle and tarot card reading AND to grow right along with you in the process. Our first course on how to open divine conversations using Oracle cards is starting soon and we'd LOVE to have you. For more information visit BehindTheDeck.com.
Thank you for joining me on this Spooktacular Journey through the art of the Halloween Tarot.
May your Halloween be Tarot-ific!
~Glinda
Possible meanings: profound awakening, re-birth, an epiphany, look at the events happening now or in the recent past in your life as they may be a catalyst to your new more evolved situation, also forgiveness and karma
21 - The World - we are done! The kitty has completed his journey throughout the entire tarot - visiting every single card in some way, shape or form. He has manifested the world! "having it all" of course the tarot is a spiritual journey so this is a metaphor for attaining the highest level of consciousness.
Possible meanings: I often think of this as "the world is my oyster" all mine for the taking, a sense of completion and spiritual attainment, being completely content with the present state of being, success, oneness or wholeness
Whew we've done it!! Now hasn't this journey made a "World" of difference in the way you view the tarot? It has for me. Every card, every deck, every new day, every reading brings a new adventure, a new perspective and expansion of my being and understanding of the tarot. Learning about the tarot is fun and easy, mastering the tarot is an ever evolving and enlightening process, just like life. The wisdom gained through experience and practice with the tarot will open your eyes to the magnificence that is available through divine conversations.
I hope that introducing you to the art, imagery and allegory of tarot has inspired you to go further and to begin building a relationship with the tarot cards and to start engaging in profound and delicious conversations. If you've made it this far with me on the journey you must be more than just curious about the images on the cards! You probably would love to go deeper and learn more about how to read the stories that unfold when you ask the oracles & tarot to give you guidance.
If you liked this series and would like to learn more about opening divine conversations with tarot and oracle cards and would like to do so with a really fun, engaging, community of folks - why not let us invite you "Behind The Deck"! Some of my dear colleagues and I have come together to go behind the deck and lift the shroud of mystery around card reading. All "secrets" revealed in a really cool atmosphere with loving and fantastic guides who are dedicated to helping you explore oracle and tarot card reading AND to grow right along with you in the process. Our first course on how to open divine conversations using Oracle cards is starting soon and we'd LOVE to have you. For more information visit BehindTheDeck.com.
Thank you for joining me on this Spooktacular Journey through the art of the Halloween Tarot.
May your Halloween be Tarot-ific!
~Glinda